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Author pushes little-known take on second coming

By MICHELLE JONES
Published February 17, 2007

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HOLIDAY - A professor and author will talk about the belief that the second coming of Jesus Christ occurred in 1844 when Hushidar Motlagh visits the Baha'i Center, at 1136 U.S. 19 N, on Sunday morning.

"The evidence is like a jigsaw puzzle; you look at one piece at a time," he said in a telephone interview. "There are 16 time prophecies of Christ coming in 1844, and this evidence comes from the Bible."

The Baha'i faith's founder is Baha'u'llah, a nobleman from Tehran, Iran, who left a life of security in the mid 19th century and faced persecution and deprivation to bring a message of peace and unity to the world. The faith teaches that his life, work and influence parallel that of many divine messengers who came before him: Abraham, Muhammad, Moses, Krishna and Christ.

Motlagh is a professor emeritus at Central Michigan University, where he taught for 30 years. He has written 20 books relating to psychology, education, creativity, scientific evidence of the existence of God, understanding of the Bible and the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

Married for 40 years, the 72-year-old earned a doctorate in educational psychology and counseling at the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Pary, have two children, a son who lives in Haifa, Israel, and works at the Baha'i World Centre, and a daughter who lives in Louisville, Ky.

Motlagh came from a Jewish background and converted to the Baha'i faith in 1957.

"I have spent 40 years proving that Baha'u'llah (1817-92) is the second coming of Christ," he said. Three of his books, I Shall Come Again, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, present evidence that Baha'u'llah is the Christ, he says.

The Baha'i faith calls for renewed commitments to family life and moral values, and social and economic justice in a world that is becoming a global neighborhood. Unlike other religions, it has resisted the impulse to divide into sects or denominations. The Baha'i faith is established in 235 countries, and its 5-million members come from 2,100 ethnic, racial and tribal groups.

Baha'u'llah, whose name means Glory of God, advocated elimination of all forms of prejudice, full equality between the sexes, recognition of the oneness of the world's great religions, and elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth. He emphasized universal education, harmony of science and religion, and a balance between nature and technology.

If you go

Visitors welcome

Hushidar Motlagh will speak at 11 a.m. Sunday. A free copy of his most recent book, God's 19 Great Little Tranquilizers, will be given to each visitor. The Baha'i of Pasco County meets for forums once a month to discuss current social and spiritual issues. Members meet in the plaza behind Buddy Freddy's restaurant at 1136 U.S. 19 N. In addition they hold study circles that encourage discussion about spiritual and practical topics, including the soul, life after death, prayer and the education of children. Devotions are held from 10 to 11 a.m. every Sunday. Call (727) 847-6940 or (813) 929-4470.